DAYS #171: Bo & Steve meet The Pawn 2.0, Eric agrees to the DNA test

Nick and Gabi step through the door to Gabi's room in the Kiriakis Mansion, lugging their suitcases behind them. Nick steps in to help a struggling Gabi. At first, she resists him, but remembers she needs to keep up the charade.

NICK: Let me help you.

After a moment of the two of them almost suspended in time, Gabi stares into Nick's eyes, and slowly, nervously smiles, loosening her grip on the bag. Nick smiles back and puts the luggage down by the bed. Gabi stands back, smiling awkwardly at Nick.

GABI: Thank you for...agreeing to let me have a separate room.NICK: Gabi, I just want you to be comfortable. Whatever that takes.GABI: I know...and I promise it won't be forever, but...you know...on the bright side, you'll actually have closet space this way?

Nick chuckles at Gabi, taking her hands in his.

NICK: In fairness, every closet space is my closet space now. The house DOES belong to me. Isn't that fantastic?

Nick pulls Gabi into a tight hug, from which Gabi tries to hide her discomfort. After Nick lets go, Gabi smiles at a beaming Nick.

NICK: Gabi, I'm not totally convinced you're excited about this.GABI: Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm...thrilled about this. But what I'm not thrilled about is having to explain this to Will and Sonny.

Nick takes Gabi in his arms, and holds her, as Gabi looks over his shoulder, uncomfortably.

NICK: You'll find a way. I'll be there for you when you do.

---

Eric sits outside the café at Horton Town Square, as Marlena walks over to him. Eric looks up, spotting Marlena.

ERIC: Mom.MARLENA: Eric. Mind if I sit down?ERIC: Go ahead.

Marlena sits down, as Eric sets down his coffee.

MARLENA: Eric, I...I know we're good, but...I wanted to apologize for my reaction to your marrying Nicole.ERIC: I appreciate that. And I know you have your misgivings, but...I know you're just looking out for me. MARLENA: I am. I just want you to be careful. But I also recognize I shouldn't have tried to ruin your day...and I also understand why you didn't want to tell anyone about your getting married. It's not as though we would've been particularly...receptive.ERIC: No, but...I should've been an adult about it, and come to you and dad, regardless.

Marlena smiles at Eric warmly.

MARLENA: Speaking of your father...I ah...I spoke to Valerie again today.ERIC: Oh?MARLENA: She ummm...she suspects that your father has some form of early onset dementia. ERIC: Well, the signs pointed to it, I'm not completely shocked. Disappointed, of course.

Marlena nods, her smile fading. She sighs before she musters the courage to continue.

MARLENA: Naturally. She did...suggest that my asking for a DNA test of you and Sami wasn't so out of line after all.ERIC: What do you mean?MARLENA: Well...Valerie thinks that we should find out if you carry the same gene that caused Roman's dementia, so that we can prevent it from affecting you and Sami. We'd also need to test Carrie, Rex and Cassie, of course.ERIC: Right. So...you're asking me if I'll be willing to do the DNA test, at the risk that it may reveal that the man we've been calling 'Dad' all these years....isn't even our father?

Marlena looks awkwardly at Eric, knowing her real reason for wanting the test is clear.

---

In the bowels of the DiMera compound in Italy, a light creeps into an otherwise blackened room from an opening door, revealing the rows of dimly lit prison cells. Bo steps inside, in awe, Steve following closely behind him.

STEVE: Check it out, partner!

Bo looks around in awe, as the dimly lit room lights up as Steve lights a gas lantern sitting on a nearby table.

BO: What the...what is this place?

STEVE: DiMera's dungeon, from the looks of it. Mostly empty, too. Except for one thing.

Steve points to the largest cell.

BO: Stefano's new Pawn

Bo strains to see, as he takes the lantern and walks slowly over to the cell, seeing a man crouched in the corner. Bo looks over at Steve, unsure who the man is.

Bo walks over, as close as he can to the man in the corner, trying not to startle him.

Reaching through the bars of the cell, he touches the man. The man flinches wildly at first, before both he and Bo realize who the other is.

Bo looks on, completely stunned, as Steve looks on, thrilled.

BO: Oh my God...

As Bo's about to say the prisoner's name, Bo and Steve are hit by bottles being smashed over their heads from behind.

Bo and Steve drop to the ground, unconscious.

---

---

At the curbside of the rural road just outside Salem, Sheryl finishes lugging Crystal's dead body into the back of her SUV. Having hastily wrapped Crystal's head with her scrubs to avoid bleeding out all over the backseat of the SUV, Sheryl slams the back of the SUV shut, making sure to check around to ensure no one is around.

She slowly makes her way to the drivers' side door, and gets in. Before taking off, she plugs her phone into the SUV's audio system, and calls Jerome.

The phone rings and rings, frustrating Sheryl.

SHERYL: Come on....come on, dammit, Jerome. Pick up!

Finally, Jerome's voice is head over the loudspeaker. But it's his voice mail.

Hanging up the phone, she hears the sound of Crystal's phone from her purse. Noticing it's Kim again, Sheryl switches out the phones quickly, before answering in a thick (fake) southern drawl.

SHERYL: (into phone) Ms. Brady! Haiii!KIM: (via phone) Hi, Crystal! I ah...I just was curious to know when you'd be coming to pick the key up and sign the sublease.SHERYL: (into phone) Oh, Ms. Brady, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to come by sooner. I'm in my truck now, I'ma be right over.

SHERYL: (into phone) I just gotta drop somethin' off real quick, okay?KIM: (via phone) Sounds great. Alright, I'll meet you at the building in about an hour?SHERYL: (into phone) Sounds perfect! I'll be right there!

The beep notifies Sheryl of the end of the call, and Sheryl relaxes somewhat, leaning back in her seat.

Looking around her, Sheryl takes a minute to breathe before she turns the car on.

SHERYL: Just gotta take some trash out first, Ms. Brady.

Sheryl checks the rear-view mirror, before pulling away from the curbside.

Noelle looks up from her book momentarily, before looking back down at it, disinterested in Nick's presence.

NOELLE: Not like I have much else to do during the day.NICK: Ahhh, to live the life of a bourgeois housewife.NOELLE: I'm sure Gabi will find that out soon enough. I assume that's where you've been this whole time?

Nick saunters over to the bar area, pouring himself a drink as he speaks to Noelle.

NICK: Yeah, there. Made a detour to the hospital to check in on our old pal, Victor.

Noelle looks up from her book, suddenly interested.

NOELLE: You did?

Nick turns back toward Noelle, a glowing smile on his face as he takes a sip from his drink.

NICK: Yeah! I had to do a bit of gloating. It's not like he was awake to hear any of it.

Noelle drops her book to one side, a look of horror washing over her face as she gets up from the couch.

NOELLE: Nick...Nick, have you checked your phone recently?

Nick looks back, bemused.

NICK: What do you mean?NOELLE: Anjelica texted you last night to warn you that Victor's out of his coma.NICK: I didn't get any text--NOELLE: WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM?!

Noelle appears panicked, as Nick looks on, also horrified by what he's just done.

---

Gabi creeks open the door to Nick's bedroom, checking behind her to make sure no one spots her walking into the barely-unpacked room.

Gently closing the door behind her, she steps further into the room, and gives a cursory look around the room.

GABI: Alright, Nick. Where would you hide those pictures of us dumping your sorry ass in the river?

---

Marlena sits across from Eric at the table outside the café. She looks seriously at her son.

MARLENA: Well...it's something we would have to deal with. Are you...emotionally ready for that possibility?ERIC: Honestly? I don't know. I think, given the circumstances, though...Sami is the one you really need to worry about.

Marlena looks down at the table, gently nodding in agreement.

MARLENA: I think you're right. The problems she's dealing with between her and EJ are a lot right now. She seems strong, but I can tell she's under a tremendous strain.

ERIC: So can I. The trouble is, I agree with you, I think it's important that we find out whether or not we carry that gene, so we can be prepared for the worst if we also carry it. Especially since it's now Dad AND Grandma that have had that diagnosis.MARLENA: That's what concerns me most. (sigh) Honestly, I do wish Kim would reconsider having the test done herself. ERIC: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I ah....(sigh) Look, I'll take the DNA test first. If something comes up on the test that we should worry about, then we can tell the others. And, heaven forbid, this man turns out not to be Dad...well...we can revisit that.

Marlena looks at Eric, a faint smile on her face.

MARLENA: So...you'll do it?ERIC: I will.

Marlena lets out a huge sigh of relief, almost tearing up as she smiles widely at her son's decision. Eric smiles back, more faintly, unsure if he's making the right choice or not.

---

Bo and Steve lie on the ground of the Pawn 2.0's cell, unconscious from a bottle each to the head, as someone steps toward them, gently kicking them to ensure they're knocked out.

It's Stefano.

Stefano laughs maniacally at his two uninvited guests, as his henchmen pick Steve and Bo up, and cart them out of the cell.

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With Steve's happy expression, I'm guessing the next Pawn is Jack. I get the intention Carlivati is doing with Jack, going back to the character's origins to eventually tell a story of needing redemption which was his strongest trait before becoming a clown, but if Jack is the Pawn, I assume you'll be telling such a tale in a much better way. Of course, if he isn't the Pawn, than ignore everything. 😄

Just to be clear, did Sheryl definitively kill the real Crystal Clarke or was it just implied?

I hated Nick gloating to Victor about his machinations. I thought he was smarter than that. Either way, I hope this time his comeuppance, whenever that may be, won't end in his death. And, of course, that his family (Marie, Jessica, Joshua, Alex) may show up at some point. I do think Marie, being the first heroine of the show, deserves at least a recurring role. However, you should only do what you want with your version. I'll be reading regardless.